Doors Open Days Midlothian
Scotland's annual Doors Open Days festival gives you free access to lots of fascinating buildings across Midlothian! This year's event will be held 13th & 14th September!
About Doors Open Days Midlothian
Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates heritage and the built environment, new and old. Every September, you can explore hundreds of fascinating buildings across Scotland for free. Some open up once a year, some just once in a lifetime.
Doors Open Days is a national event run by the Scottish Civic Trust. Information about the national programme, including event listings, can be found at www.doorsopendays.org.uk.
Programme Highlights:
Arniston House
13 September 2025
14 September 2025
Arniston House is a magnificent Palladian style manor house by William Adam, commissioned in 1726 nestled at the heart of the working rural estate. Featuring stunning architecture, stucco works, a beautiful collection of art, furnishing and portraits by renown artists such as Raeburn, Ramsay and Alexander Nasmyth, a tour of Arniston an experience of history, beauty and creativity.
Cousland Smiddy and Heritage Hub
13 September 2025
Cousland Smiddy gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into our village's heritage, with an early 18th century blacksmith's workshop, Victorian cottage, other partially conserved associated buildings, organic allotments in the former gardens and recreational spaces to enjoy. We believe there has been a continuously working Smiddy on this site in the village since at least 1703. The location is home to Cousland Smiddy Trust, Cousland Local History Project, Cousland Community Heritage Hub and the Cousland Smiddy Plotters.
Crichton Collegiate Church
13 September 2025
Crichton was built as a Collegiate Church by Sir William Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland in the time of King James II, and boasts a fine suite of stained glass windows by Ballantine and Gardiner. The pipe organ dates from 1898 and was built by Joseph Brook. The building is now in the care of a charitable Trust.
Dalkeith Community Fire Station
13 September 2025
Dalkeith Fire Station opened on 9 November 1970 and is an integral part of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. It provides a high quality fire-fighting and rescue service that responds to fires and other emergencies, educating and advising the general public on community safety matters, enforcing fire safety legislation and advising local authorities and other agencies with respect to their own legal obligations.
Dalkeith Masonic Lodge
13 September 2025
The Lodge was completed and consecrated in 1766 by the local order of Freemasons and is reputedly the oldest purpose-built lodge room in the world.
Dalkeith Museum
13 September 2025
Dalkeith Museum is a small independent museum, fully accredited by Museum Galleries Scotland. It is located in the rear of the Grade A listed Dalkeith Corn Exchange – at one time, the largest in Scotland. The museum is totally run by a team of volunteers on behalf of Dalkeith History Society. It provides a welcoming open space where visitors can discover the often under-estimated and under-told history of a once vibrant market town.
Lodge St Leonard Loanhead and Lasswade
13 September 2025
This Lodge has been active in Loanhead since February 1876 when a Charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland to allow it to be formed. The foundation stone was laid on 29 April 1899.
Mavisbank House
20 September 2025
Construction on Mavisbank House began in 1723, by Sir John Clerk of Penicuik and the architect William Adam. Just over 50 years ago, a major fire left the building in ruins and finally efforts to restore the house are now underway.
Midlothian Camera Club
13th September
Midlothian Camera Club is a small but active and friendly camera and photography club. The club caters for all levels of photographic ability and interests.
MMCC Bonnyrigg Mosque
13 September 2025
You’re warmly invited to the Doors Open Day at Bonnyrigg Mosque – a special event for the community to explore the building, learn more about Islam, enjoy exhibitions and presentation. Try some refreshments, and ask any questions you may have.
Penicuik Papermaking Heritage Museum
13 September 2025
We are a small museum exploring Penicuik’s unique heritage as one of the most important centres of papermaking in the world.
We are open all day to let our visitors take full advantage of a visit to the Museum. Visitors can tour the museum, try their hand at making paper and visit Pen-y-Coe Press to learn about printing.
Soutra Aisle
13 September 2025
14 September 2025
Soutra Aisle, dated 1686, is a family burial vault, constructed when the Scottish church banned monuments inside churches. The Aisle marks the site of the largest and best endowed hospital in medieval Scotland which has been the focus of a unique archaeo-medical investigation since 1986.
St James the Less, Scottish Episcopal Church
13 September 2025
The church will open for people to look at our fabulous stained glass, to look at the memorials and our historic reredos designed after the First World War. There are leaflets available describing the stained glass decoration and memorials.
St Mary's in the Park, Dalkeith Country Park
13 September 2025
A Scottish Episcopal Church built in 1845. It has numerous special features like the organ, roof, and stained glass.
For Doors Open Days the water organ will be played throughout the day.
Temple Old Kirk
13 September 2025
Temple Old Kirk is a fine ruined medieval parish church built over the foundations of the Knights Templar Preceptory of Balantrodoch, the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Scotland - the 'Settlement of the Warriors'.
For Doors Open Days there will be guided tours on demand throughout the afternoon.
The Gorebridge Beacon
14th September
The Gorebridge Beacon is a community hub offering event spaces, offices, a community café, and a beautiful garden and play area, maintained by our volunteers. We run a weekly pantry service where locals can do their grocery shop for a nominal charge, and our halls host a range of activities including community groups, workshops, children’s parties and wellbeing events. The Beacon itself is an architecturally interesting building, designed to echo Gorebridge’s mining heritage, while offering a modern airy space for our community to come together.
Thistle Modelmakers
13 September 2025
14 September 2025
We are a small group of railway modellers, based in Mayfield, Dalkeith, who design and make exhibition layouts.
For Doors Open Days come and see some of our layouts from around the world! Members will be on hand to give demonstrations and answer questions.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
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